New Points = No Spark? 1978 KZ1000 LTD (Fixed???)

I put my new points in and set them meticulously to open just a hair before the 'F' mark and set max. gap at 15 with a feeler gauge...

I then carefully cleaned and lightly dressed the points with a clean sheet of paper and pulled a very clean piece of paper towel through them.

*****No spark*****

The sparks are dancing around in the points, but not making it to any of the plugs.

I then checked continuity from the contact points to the primary of both coils, and tested each coil primary @ 4.7 to ground. The secondary (between plug cap and ground) couldn't be read for some reason.

I'm assuming green (R) are cylinders 2&3 here.

*****No spark*****

Can anyone tell me where to look next? This is my primary vehicle... In fact I do not even own a [running] car.


This is a picture of the original setup with the old pitted points. Yes, it ran, and pretty well I might add. I had a hard time putting them together, as the clips on the end of the wires did not fit over the insulators on the new points. Nonetheless I got it all together as shown on the pic and with both sides insulated well from each other.

Get a Dyna-S my friend..

I got spark and fuel now, but the !@@#$%$#% thing won't fire. It just rumbles for a few seconds and dies. I'm working on it!!!!!!

..... When setting the ignition timing without idling the bike, which mark should I set the points to open at??

sounds like you may have a condensor that may be bad or a gorunding issue

Ditto on the condenser, just had a condenser go out on my 1000 (first time that's ever happened on any of my points motors), took me awhile to figure out, testing everything, then I reinstalled the old condensers that came with the bike. Instant start.

Qdude wrote:

Get a Dyna-S my friend..

I dont' want to lose any more spark, so points it is.


I tested both of the condensers @ 250nF, so good there.

Here's a pic or two of how I tried to wire it up. I was confounded, because the little clips on the condensers wouldn't fit back on... If either lead touches the screw, they become common to each other, thus negating the switch.

Qdude wrote:

Get a Dyna-S my friend..

I dont' want to lose any more spark, so points it is.


I tested both of the condensers @ 250nF, so good there.

Here's a pic or two of how I tried to wire it up. I was confounded, because the little clips on the condensers wouldn't fit back on... If either lead touches the screw, they become common to each other, thus negating the switch.

Here is another photo... I slightly bent the ears of the condenser lead clip to fit it over the plastic spacer on the points.

I'm looking at this... It looks like I have the condenser lead wired to ground. Refer to the picture above for the original wiring configuration; that looks like the condenser positive is wired to the backplate.

... Unless the condenser positive travels to the spring side of the points through the screw (even though it is mounted on the top side), and the other lead is grounded to the back plate.

Can anyone help me here? I'm sure someone here has done this before.

Maybe a better pic...

Beatpoet wrote:

... Unless the condenser positive travels to the spring side of the points through the screw (even though it is mounted on the top side), and the other lead is grounded to the back plate.

Not sure if I understand you correctly so bear with me, but the condenser postive wire is supposed to contact the points wire (black to black/green to green), not be insulated from it.

As the points start to open electricity will attempt to jump the points gap (arcing) which means that the magnetic field built up by the primary windings of the ignition coil won´t have to sufficient time to collaps = weak or no spark.

The purpose of the condenser is to provide an easier path for the electricity to travel than across the points gap as the points start to open, once the points close the condenser decharges and is ready for the next cycle.

Here´s a pic of a 650 timing plate with points and condensers, note how the points wires and condenser wires are touching:



Oh btw, you don´t measure the secondary windings between plug cap and ground, but between plug cap and plug cap on each coil.

Here's the oem KZ900 connection at base of points spring where condenser wire and signal wire are both soldered to the same terminal fitting which connects directly to the spring. These three items (condenser wire, signal wire and spring) are held together in place by the small screw which is insulated against touching the backing plate.



In other words, the condenser wire, signal wire and spring are supposed to be clamped together insulated from the backing plate. So as to permit the condenser wire and signal wires to ground via the spring through the points to the backing plate only while the points are closed.

The small fiber insulators allow the connections at the base of spring and the spring base itself to be held together in place without grounding against the backing plate.

Assembly sequence from the screw head is: (1) washer, (2) terminal fitting - both condenser wire and signal wire, (3) spring, (4) insulator, (5) backing plate tab, (6) insulator, (7) washer, ( nut.

Inadvertant grounding of any connections at the spring base will disallow plug firing which depends on opening of the points to un-ground the connections.

This is believed consistent with OnkelB's post, with which I concur.

Good Luck!

This all looks and feels right!

Thanks for the info, I'm about to head home from work and set it up!

I'll keep y'all posted, hopefully she fires up tonight :laugh: